Valve-operating mechanism.



M. E. BERTRAMI VALVE OPERATING-MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.4,19 12.

I 1,7291% Y I PatentedSept. 9, 1913 I w 5;: v I I I residing at Cleveland, .in

MILTON E. EBERTRAM, OF .CLEVELAND, OHIO.

vALvEprERATI e MECHANISM.

aoaaera.

Specification ,of Letters .Patent.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,432.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

. T all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON E. Brmrrmmf a citizen of the United States of Ameri ca,. the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, tain new and useful Improvements in Valvei Operating-Mechanism; and I hereby declare the following to-be a full, clear, and

- exact description of the invention, such as it pertains to make and use .the same.

.freedom of the valve to unseat at will enable othersskilled in the art to which This invention relates to improvements in valve-operating mechanism, and pertains more especially to mechanism for operating a substantially vertically arranged rotary plug-valve.

One object of this invention is .to posi-' t'ively jloosen the'valve relative to its seat' as @9911 as the valve during its rotation begins t'ostick to said seat;

Another object is to directly rotate the Valve by laterally projecting members with which a shaft arranged coincidently with a the axis-of the valve is provided, and to have .va ve in a direction opposite to the direction in which the valve is being rotated by the,

shaft during the operation of the shaft.

Another object s to unseat the valve dur-- ing the rotation of the valve by the shaft whenever the valve begins to stick to its seatregardl'ess of the direction in which the valve is being rotated by the shaft during the operation of the shaft.

Another object is .to render the construction simple and durable, reliable in its operati 0n,'and not 'liableto get out of order.

Vvitjh these objectsin view, and to the end of attaining anyother advantage here'- inafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, and combinations and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims,

have invented cer- 1 operatively provided withand illustrated in the accompanying drawings...

. In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, largely in central vertical section, of a valve-casing containing a plug-valve operated by mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 22, Fig. 1, looking upwardly. Fig.3 is an upper end view of the valvediiving shaft. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of i a spider which forms a member .of the valve and participates in the formation of a camconnect-ion between the valve and said shaft.

Referring to said drawing, A indicates a suitably applied horizontally arranged shaft which meshes with a bevel-gear -b operatively a bevel-gear a mounted on asuitably applied vertically arranged shaft B. A

valve-casing .C is arranged at the upperend of the shaft B and provided interiorly with an upwardly flaring circular chamber 10. Theupwardly flaring wall 12 of the chamber 10 extends circumferentially of and forms aseat for the downwardly tapering vertically arranged normally seated rotary plug-valve D shown provided with a-port 18 extending laterally through the valve.-.

'Thevalve-casing -C is shown rovided with a fluid-receiving port 14 an a fluiddischarging port 15 arrangedat the opposite sides respectively of the valve D and arranged in line endwise, ands-said valve has its port 13 arranged to establish communi: cation between the ports 14 and 15 of .the valve-casing during vthe rotation of the valve. p

The valve D is operatively connected, as will hereinafter appear, with the shaft B vwhich extends .endwise of and loosely through the annular hub 16 of a spider d which is removably secured by screws 6 to the body of the valve. The shaft-surrounding member 16 is rigid therefore with the body of the valve and concentricrelative to the axis of the shaft and forms a member of the valve. Obviously therefore the valve D is shifta'ble upwardly independently of the shaft B to unseat the valve, and theshaft is arranged .at the lower end and coinci-' dent-1y with the axis of the valve. 0 erative connection between the valve an .the shaft B is effected by a cam-connection provided between the shaft and the valve, which cam-connection is capable of producing unseating movement of the valve. Said camconnection comprises recesses 17 formed in and spaced circumferentially of the shaftsurrounding member 16. of the valve and engaged by laterally projecting lugs or members 18 which are formed on and spaced circumferentially cf the upper. portion of "the shaft B. The shaft B is rotated in the and arranged between the downwardly diverging side walls of a recess 17 and has upwardly converging sides, as shown in Fig.

1, beingpreferably spaced at its upper end, as at 20, from the upper extremity of said recess. Hence the valve does not rest on the members 18 of the shaft but only rests on thevalve-seat 12.

An externally screw-threaded head G is arranged above and opposite the upper end recess 17 in the shaft-surrounding member row.

tation bythe shaft B begins to-stick to its of the valve and screwed into the valvecasing C and therefore'removably secured in place. The head G forms the upper end wall of the valve-containing chamber 18 and is larger diametrically than the'upper and diametrically'larger end of the valve. The valve terminates at. its upper end a suitable distance below the head G. to form a space between said head and said valve to permit lifting of the valve when the valve begins to stick to its seat.

During the rotation of the valve each 16 of the valve has that side wall thereof which faces opposite to the direction in which the valve; is rotated engaged by a projecting member 18 of the shaft, and Figs. 1' and 2 illustrate the rotation of the Valve in the direction indicated bythe ar- As soon as the valve during its roseat the cam-connection formed as hereinbefore described between said shaft and the valve results inlifting the valve independently of the shaft and thereby at once loosens the valve relative to its seat.

By the construction hereinbefore described it will be observed that the valve is operatively connected with the shaft B but movable from and toward its seat when the shaft is at rest as well as during the rotation of the shaft; that the valve is directly and positively driven by the shaft B; that the v'alve is rotated in the one direction or the other according as said shaft is rotated in the one or the other direction; that the valve is positively unseated or loosened relative to its seat as soon as the valve during its rotation begins to stick to said seat re; gardless of the direction in which the valve is rotated by the shaft, and that injury to the valve and valve-operating mechanism by any force or influence tending to rotate the valve in a direction opposite to the direction in which the valve is rotated by the shaft is avoided. I

To prevent the valve from being rendered too loose relative to its seat during the unseating of the valve by the cam-connection between the valve and the shaft B, an end bearing is provided for the upper and diametrically larger end face of the valve, which bearing comprises a screw H which is arranged vertically and coincidently with the axis of the valve and engages and extends through a correspondingly screw-threaded hole g formed in and centrally of the head G. The lower portion. of the screw H surrounds the upper portionof a spiral spring K which is coiled around a lug or upwardly projecting member 21 formed on and centrally of the upper end of the valve D, which spring is interposed between the screw H and a metal plate L which surrounds the lug or member 21 and is spaced downwardly from the lower end of the screw H and rests on the valve. Anti-friction. balls Z are interposed between the under side of the plate L andthe valve so as to effect the reduction to a minimum of the friction" between the valve and said plate during the rotation of the valve.

The spring K obviously acts to retain the valve seated, and of course any unseating of; the valve by the cam connection between the valve and the shaft is against the action of said spring.

By the construction hereinbefore described it will be observed that the valve is free to be unseated at any time against the action of the spring K, and the spacing of the screw H upwardly .from the plate L accommodates upward displacement of the valve to unseat the valve, but the space between said plate and said screw is of course less than required to lift the valve far enough to interrupt operative connection between the valve and the shaft B. Obviously the screw H forms an abutment for the upper end of the spring K, and the'tension of said spring can be regulated by. a

, manipulation of the screw or abutment, and

the hereinbefore described type of cam-con nection between the valve and the shaft 13 permits the valve to rest wholly on its seat 12 and to grind on said seat during the rotation of the valve and thereby insure a perfect seating of the valve.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with a shaft provided-at one end with laterally projecting members which are spaced circumferentially of the shaft; a normally seated valve arranged at said end and coincidently with the axis of the shaft and provided with a member which extends circumferentially of mit movement of the valve from and toward its seat when the shaft is at rest and during the rotation of the shaft.

.2. The combination, with a shaft provided atone end v with laterally projecting members which are spaced circumferentially of the shaft and have their sides converging toward said end of theshaft; a normally seated valve arranged at said end and coincidently with the axis of the shaft and provided with a member which extends circumferentially of the shaft and is provided with recesses engaged by the aforesaid members of the shaft and arranged to I permit movement ofthe valve from and toward its'seat when the shaft is-at rest and during the rotation of the shaft.

'3. The combination, with an uprightshaft provided at its upper end with laterally projecting members whichare spaced cir cumferentia'lly of the shaft and have upwardly converging sides; a normally seated downwardly tapering valve arranged at said end and coincidently with the axis of the shaft and provided at its lower end with 'a member which extends circumferentially of the shaft andis provided with recesses-extending upwardly from the lower extremity of said member of the valve, which recesses have their side walls diverging downwardly and are engaged by the aforesaid projecting members of the shaft;

4. The combination, with an upright shaft provided at its upper end with laterally projecting' members which are spaced circumferentially of the shaft and have'upwardly converging sides; a normally seated downwardly tapering valve arranged at said end and coincidently with the axis ,of the shaft and provided at its. lower end with a memher which extends circumferentially of the shaft and is provided with recesses which have their side walls diverging downwardly and are engaged by the aforesaid projecting members of the shaft, said recesses extendingupwardly beyond said members of the shaft and being arranged to permit upward movement of the valve independently of the shaft when the shaft is at rest and during the rotation ofthe shaft.

5. The combination, with a downwardly tapering rotaryvalve' provided at its lower. end with a member which, extends circumferentially of andis concentric relative to the axis of the valve and has recesses spaced circumferentially of said axis, which re cesses extend substantially vertically upwardly from the lower extremity of said member offthe valve and have downwardly diverging walls, and a seat for the valve, of an upright shaft arranged at the lower end and coincidently with'the axis of the valve, which shaft is provided with members which are spaced cireumferentially' of the shaft and project laterally of the shaftinto the aforesaid recesses. i

6. The combination, with a downwardly tapering rotary valve provided at its lower end with a member which extends circumferentially of and is concentric relative to the axis of the valve and has recesses spacedcircumferentially of said axis, which recesses extend substantially vertically upwardly and have downwardly diverging walls, and a seat for the valve, of an upright shaft arrangedatthe lower end and coinci dently vwith the axis of the valve, which shaft is provided with members which are spaced circumferentially of the shaft and project laterally of the shaft into the aforesaid recesses, and said members of the shaft extending upwardly into said recesses a distance greaterthan the valve is movable upwardly. independently of the shaft.

7. The combination, with a downwardly tapering rotary valve provided at its lower end with a member which extends circum-' ferentially of and is concentric relative to the axis'of the valve and has recesses spaced circumferentially of said axis, which recesses extend substantially .vertically upwardly from the lower extremity of said member and have downwardly diverging walls, and

a seat for the valve, of an upright shaft arranged at the lower end and coincidently with the axis of the valve, which share is provided with members which are spaced circumferentially 0f theshaft and project laterally of the shaft into the aforesaid recesses and have their sidesconverging' upwardly, andmeans arranged above the valve and acting to retain the valve seated.

8. The combination, with adownwardly tapering-rotary valve provided at its lower end with a member 'which extends circumferenti'ally of and is concentric relative to the axis of the valve andhas recessesspace circumferentlally of said axis, wh1 ch recesses extend substantially vertically upwardly from the lower extremity of saidmember and have downwardly diverging walls, and

a seat for the valve, of an upright shaft 'arranged at the lower end and coincidently" with the axis of the valve, 'whichshaft is provided with members which'arespaced reg;

circumferentially of theshaft and project laterally of the shaft into the aforesaid re-- cesses and have their sides converging upwardly, and means acting to retahrthe valve I seated, said members of, the shaft extending of a rotary driving member for said valve substantially co-axial therewith, means for normally holding the said valve axially to its seat and a double acting cam connection between the valve and the rotary driving member, said driving connection comprising two meshing parts one consisting of a mem ber which extends circumferentially of and is concentric with the axis of the valve and driving member and has recesses spaced circumferentially of said axis, which recesses are substantially axial and have divergent walls, and the other of which comprises portions projecting laterally ofthe axis of the valve and mating with the recesses, one of said parts being carried by the valve and the-other by the rotary driving member.

10. The combination, with an axially tapered rotary valve and a seat for the valve,

parts one consisting of a member which extends circumferentially of and is concentric with the axis of the valve and driving member and has recesses spaced circumferenstantially .axial and have divergent walls,

projecting laterally of the axis of the valve and mating with the recesses, one of said other by the rotary driving member. I

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON E. BERTRAM.

Witnesses:

' B. 0. BROWN,

N. L. MCDONNELL.

and the other of which comprises portions parts being carried by the valve and the ing connection comprising two meshing tially of said axis, which recesses are sub- 

